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Families can start the school year off right with the Lincoln Trail District Health Department’s Back to School Bashes, the last three of which are happening this week.

Health Department Public Relations Officer Melissa Phillips says the Back to School Bashes will have education stations, immunizations to help get kids caught up on their shot records, and dental varnishing, among other services. Phillips says, however, the main focus is fun.

“Our mascot will be at each location so families can take pictures if they want to,” Phillips said. “There’s going to be coloring contests and games and prizes, and then there’s going to be gift cards given away, two gift cards at each location. So lots of fun, lots of giveaways. We just need folks to come out.”

LaRue County’s Back to School Bash will be Tuesday, Hardin County’s will be Wednesday, and Nelson County’s will be Thursday. Visit the health department’s Facebook page for more information.

The Elizabethtown City Council met for a work session Monday evening.

City Parks and Recreation Director Seth Breitner provided an update on his department’s activities. Breitner said the city’s summer camp program saw a capacity crowd of 280 total campers, and the city hopes to increase that capacity as well as add ADA accessible transportation next summer. Breitner said the American Legion Pool has seen to date 32,521 attendees, and the pool closes for the season on August 9.

Breitner discussed several ongoing and upcoming projects, including work at Trooper Lake. He said the city has been working with the International Mountain Biking Association on designs for trails and a pump track.

“We will be able to be a regional destination for mountain biking in the area,” Breitner said. “We are very excited about this project because I think it adds so much to what the city already has with the park system, the sports park, and everything else, and just adds another element to what we’ll have out there.”

Ashton Park resident Sandy Mattingly came before the council to voice ongoing concerns with stormwater issues in the neighborhood. Mattingly said she and her neighbors have previously contacted the city regarding water runoff issues, but mitigation efforts to this point have been ineffective.

“This isn’t something that happens once or twice a year,” Mattingly said. “It’s a constant recurring problem every single time we receive measurable rainfall. The current infrastructure cannot handle the volume of water we receive, and the runoff controls are completely inadequate.”

City Stormwater Director Rita Davis said the city has been working with developers in the subdivision, but they will not know what sort of mitigation is necessary until development there is completed.

City Administrator Ed Poppe and Business Development Officer Terry Shipp discussed proposals for supporting development on the city’s south end. Poppe said the city is still developing programs to attract new businesses, but the council requested programs that would benefit existing businesses, so Poppe said the city is proposing a grant program aimed at exterior improvements.

“You paint the outside, you change the windows and doors to try to implement some things that we have encouraged through our zoning standards,” Poppe said. “You make pedestrian connections from your business to the public sidewalks that we’ve installed.”

Poppe said the program will mirror the Downtown Development Grant program currently run by the city, but will cap grants at $25,000 to ensure multiple properties can take advantage. The program would also be made retroactive to last year to reward current businesses who have made additional investment.

Shipp said he is optimistic that supporting the existing businesses will help encourage further growth.

“You know, you spend $25,000 or $30,000 on an individual building, it makes a difference,” Shipp said. “It makes a really big difference, so it would really help, and with the new road scape and things like that I think we can see a much improved area out there.”

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet August 3.

Highway safety improvements on U.S. 31E in Hodgenville are progressing to the next phase.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District Four says with the concrete portion of the work finished, asphalt work is ready to begin. Milling work took place over the weekend, with paving scheduled to begin Monday. Weather permitting, the work should be completed on Thursday, finishing the project ahead of the first day of class for LaRue County Schools.

The entrance reconfiguration at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School is a major feature of the project. Drivers will still be able to turn into and out of the school from both directions on U.S. 31E.

“The change is you’re going to have some protections,” said KYTC District Four Public Information Officer Chris Jessie. “Northbound traffic turning left into the school will have that center turn lane to stack up traffic so they’re not sticking out into northbound flow, and this reduces the likelihood of rear end collisions. For left turns out of the school, you’re going to be guided right into that center turn lane by the curbing that’s installed there, so that’s going to give you an opportunity to merge safely into northbound U.S. 31E traffic.”

Drivers should slow down, use caution, and pay close attention to signs, traffic control equipment, and flaggers in the work zone. Follow KYTC District Four on social media for updates.